Forestry officers shot at during illegal logging raid, two injured

DUNGUN: A Forestry enforcement officer and a mechanic were injured after being shot by an unknown assailant with an air rifle during a raid on illegal logging activities at Kampung Serdang, near Bukit Bauk reserve forest, here today.

State Forestry Department director Datuk Ahmad Fadzil Abd Majid said four officers and a mechanic had entered the site at 5.30pm yesterday following a tip-off that illegal logging was being carried out there.

Fadzil said the team from the Dungun Forestry Department found a broken down excavator and several other items that had been left unattended.

"We seized the items and the mechanic was instructed to repair the excavator in order that it could be driven back to Paka town," Fadzil said.

He said the team members took until 4am today to make the necessary repairs.

"However, when they were about to leave, they were shocked when three long distance shots were fired in their direction" he said, adding that the weapon is believed to have been an air rifle.

"The mechanic was injured on his thigh, while our officer’s torso was wounded. Both received outpatient treatment at the Dungun Hospital," he said today.

An excavator, logs, seven fuel containers, keys and two parangs were among the seized items in the incident.